Hebrew Names Version HNV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
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And David inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,
2 David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Yo'av, and a third part under the hand of Avishai the son of Tzeru'yah, Yo'av's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
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and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, `I certainly go out -- I also -- with you.'
3 But the people said, You shall not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.
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And the people say, `Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set [their] heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set [their] heart unto us -- for now like us [are] ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'
4 The king said to them, What seems you best I will do. The king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
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And the king saith unto them, `That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,
5 The king commanded Yo'av and Avishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Avshalom. All the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Avshalom.
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and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently -- for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Yisra'el: and the battle was in the forest of Efrayim.
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And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;
7 The people of Yisra'el were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
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and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day -- twenty thousand;
8 For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
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and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.
9 Avshalom happened to meet the servants of David. Avshalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the sky and eretz; and the mule that was under him went on.
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And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that [is] under him hath passed on.
10 A certain man saw it, and told Yo'av, and said, Behold, I saw Avshalom hanging in an oak.
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And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'
11 Yo'av said to the man who told him, Behold, you saw it, and why didn't you strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten [pieces of] silver, and a sash.
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And Joab saith to the man who is declaring [it] to him, `And lo, thou hast seen -- and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth -- and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'
12 The man said to Yo'av, Though I should receive a thousand [pieces of] silver in my hand, I still wouldn't put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Avishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Avshalom.
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And the man saith unto Joab, `Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who [is] against the youth -- against Absalom;
13 Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against [me].
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or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou -- thou dost station thyself over-against.'
14 Then said Yo'av, I may not wait thus with you. He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Avshalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
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And Joab saith, `Not right -- I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he [is] alive, in the midst of the oak.
15 Ten young men who bore Yo'av's armor compassed about and struck Avshalom, and killed him.
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And they go round -- ten youths bearing weapons of Joab -- and smite Absalom, and put him to death.
16 Yo'av blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Yisra'el; for Yo'av held back the people.
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And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;
17 They took Avshalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones: and all Yisra'el fled everyone to his tent.
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and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled -- each to his tent.
18 Now Avshalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory: and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Avshalom's monument, to this day.
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And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that [is] in the king's valley, for he said, `I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;' and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called `The monument of Absalom' unto this day.
19 Then said Achima`atz the son of Tzadok, Let me now run, and bear the king news, how that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.
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And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, `Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;'
20 Yo'av said to him, You shall not be the bearer of news this day, but you shall bear news another day; but this day you shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.
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and Joab saith to him, `Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son [is] dead.'
21 Then said Yo'av to the Kushite, Go, tell the king what you have seen. The Kushite bowed himself to Yo'av, and ran.
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And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.
22 Then said Achima`atz the son of Tzadok yet again to Yo'av, But come what may, Please let me also run after the Kushite. Yo'av said, Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?
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And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, `And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.' And Joab saith, `Why [is] this -- thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?' --
23 But come what may, [said he], I will run. He said to him, Run. Then Achima`atz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Kushite.
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`And, whatever it be, [said he,] let me run.' And he saith to him, `Run;' and Ahimaaz runneth the way of the circuit, and passeth by the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
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And David is sitting between the two gates, and the watchman goeth unto the roof of the gate, unto the wall, and lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, a man running by himself.
25 The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. He came apace, and drew near.
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And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, `If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;' and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
26 The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter, and said, Behold, [another] man running alone. The king said, He also brings news.
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And the watchman seeth another man running, and the watchman calleth unto the gatekeeper, and saith, `Lo, a man running by himself;' and the king saith, `Also this one is bearing tidings.'
27 The watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Achima`atz the son of Tzadok. The king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news.
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And the watchman saith, `I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' And the king saith, `This [is] a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.'
28 Achima`atz called, and said to the king, All is well. He bowed himself before the king with his face to the eretz, and said, Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
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And Ahimaaz calleth and saith unto the king, `Peace;' and he boweth himself to the king, on his face, to the earth, and saith, `Blessed [is] Jehovah thy God who hath shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.'
29 The king said, Is it well with the young man Avshalom? Achima`atz answered, When Yo'av sent the king's servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don't know what it was.
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And the king saith, `Peace to the youth -- to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, `I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant [by] Joab, and I have not known what [it is].'
30 The king said, Turn aside, and stand here. He turned aside, and stood still.
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And the king saith, `Turn round, station thyself here;' and he turneth round and standeth still.
31 Behold, the Kushite came; and the Kushite said, News for my lord the king; for the LORD has avenged you this day of all those who rose up against you.
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And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, `Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.'
32 The king said to the Kushite, Is it well with the young man Avshalom? The Kushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.
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And the king saith unto the Cushite, `Peace to the youth -- to Absalom?' And the Cushite saith, `Let them be -- as the youth -- the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.'
33 The king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, my son Avshalom, my son, my son Avshalom! would I had died for you, Avshalom, my son, my son!
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And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, `My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.'
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.